


Master Bumi

by DepressedDaisy



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Canon Compliant, Gen, Post-Canon, Sibling Bonding, Tattoos, mentions of Aang - Freeform, mentions of Lin Beifong/Tenzin, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-09
Updated: 2021-02-09
Packaged: 2021-03-14 16:47:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 772
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29299119
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DepressedDaisy/pseuds/DepressedDaisy
Summary: The Air Nation celebrates the first Master out of the new airbenders.
Relationships: Bumi II & Tenzin
Kudos: 9





	Master Bumi

Bumi looked at himself in the mirror. He realized everyone would be expecting him for the usual party after the ceremony, but he wanted to see it for himself.

He didn’t know if he would ever get used to the pale blue tattoos all over his body. Seeing them now, particularly on his bald head, gave him an odd feeling, as if he was looking at someone else.

‘Bumi, I’ve been looking for you. We’re all waiting…’ Tenzin walked into the room and stopped himself once he saw his brother. He must have had a weird expression on, because Tenzin’s expression softened. ‘Admiring your new tattoos?’

‘Trying to decide if I’ll let my hair grow back or not.’ he lied, turning to face his younger brother. He could easily forget Tenzin really was younger, having been his master for years. But now, he was a master as well, and that changed things. Didn’t it?

‘It is a choice. A bald head does tend to advantage airbenders with certain forms, and even in battle, but if you prefer…’

‘We’ll see.’ Bumi shrugged and looked back at his reflection. There was an uneasy silence between the two, as there often was.

‘You kind of look like dad…’ Tenzin said, walking over to his side.

‘Please, that was always your thing.’ Bumi replied, rolling his eyes. ‘Everyone used to say Kya looked like mom, you looked like dad and I had gotten the better parts of both their personalities.’ he chuckled, but looked down. Tenzin grew slightly concerned.

‘Remember when you told me that, despite being Aang’s son, you didn’t feel like part of the Air Nation for the first few months?’ he asked. Bumi nodded, now looking curiously at the other man. ‘Well, now you’re a master. If that can’t reassure you no one belongs here more than you, I don’t know what will.’ Tenzin smiled warmly, wrapping a reassuring arm around his brother’s shoulders, and Bumi smiled as well .

There was a slight moment of silence, and Tenzin managed to muster up the courage to say something to his older brother he had tried to before, but had always chickened out:

‘Look, I know you had your difficulties with dad.’ Bumi avoided his eyes. ‘With all of his responsibilities and expectations for rebuilding the Air Nation, I know you must have thought having his first born be a non-bender would have been a disappointment.’ Bumi wanted to say something, to deny it, or simply to cease the conversation, but he couldn’t. His words were hitting a bit too close to the truth. ‘But you have to know, he was always proud of you.’ Bumi wanted to believe him, but, as they had before, his insecurities got the better of him. Once he grew up, he’d gotten a lot more comfortable with who he was, or, more importantly, what he wasn’t, but as a child, he couldn’t help but feel bad for all the times his parents spent with his younger siblings, training, or even their constant looks of expectation, and (masked) disappointment when he was even younger and around the age people tended to demonstrate the first signs of bending. Tenzin sighed and continued. ‘When you were with the Armed Forces, dad once said something to me, while we were studying about the Air Nomads, and I myself was worrying about the future of our family, if the task to rebuild the Air Nation should fall on my shoulders. Back then, I was dating Lin, and more and more the possibility of starting a family, or, in Lin’s opinion, not starting one, was a great preoccupation on my mind. I ended up confiding in him about it, and he said «Though I’d love to see the Air Nomads back, with our family at the helm, what I want the most is for you kids to be happy.»’ Tenzin paused and Bumi finally looked up, frowning. ‘He didn’t care that you were a bender or not, he only cared that you were happy. You’ve met every single one of dad’s expectations and exceeded them.’

Bumi felt his eyes water. Though he’d never admit to crying, and would later attribute this to the smoke during the ceremony, hearing this made him so happy he didn’t care at the moment. He hugged his brother and didn’t say anything, both feeling as if that moment didn’t need words.

‘Now, let’s go.’ Tenzin said, breaking away from the embrace. ‘We have a whole nation out there, waiting for its leaders.’ The two left the room, smiling, ready to go celebrate the first master out of the new airbenders.

**Author's Note:**

> I saw, somewhere, fanart of young Bumi, trying his hardest to show signs of bending while his parents looked on, and it broke my heart (I can't remember where, but if I ever do find it again, I'll credit it here). That, plus the very obvious unresolved issues between the three siblings that permeate all through the series, really made me want to write something just nice for this family, where they could finally be happy together without all that angst, even if it is years after and when they're all grown up.


End file.
